In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire for humans before Zeus sent Pandora. The Titan’s act appears in the mythic sequence that connects humanity’s new power with Zeus’s punishment. Prometheus is therefore central background to Pandora’s story, even though he does not open the jar.
Greek and later Roman writers develop the fire theft in different ways. Prometheus is commonly portrayed as a benefactor of humankind, sometimes also as a creator or civilizing teacher. Zeus’s response includes the creation and dispatch of Pandora, whose jar becomes a source of suffering for mortals.
The best-known consequence for Prometheus is separate from Pandora’s jar: Zeus has him chained to a mountain, where an eagle repeatedly eats his liver. Heracles eventually frees him in later mythology. These connected episodes are often blended in popular retellings, but Pandora’s creation and Prometheus’s punishment are distinct events in the wider cycle.